The Zanskar River is the first major tributary of the Indus River , equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely within Ladakh , India. It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and the Zanskar Range within the region of Zanskar . It flows northeast to join the Indus River near Nimo .
7-582: Zanskar ( Zangs-kar ) means "white copper" or brass. In its upper reaches, the Zanskar has two main branches. First of these, the Doda , has its source near the Pensi-la 4,400 m (14,400 ft) mountain-pass and flows south-eastwards along the main Zanskar valley leading towards Padum , the capital of Zanskar . The second branch is formed by two main tributaries known as Kargyag river, with its source near
14-520: A north-eastern course through the dramatic Zanskar Gorge until it joins the Indus near Nimo in Ladakh . The area has homestays, Buddhist monastery and valley tourism. Lower (northern) sections of that gorge are popular in summer with tourists making rafting trips, typically from Chiling to Nimmu. In winter when the road to Zanskar is closed by snow on the high passes, the only overland route to Padum
21-631: Is by walking along the frozen river, a multi-day hike that is now sold as an adventure activity called the Chadar Trek ('ice sheet'). This trek will eventually be rendered obsolete once the road from Chiling to Padum is completed. Doda River The Doda River or the Stod River is a river 79 kilometres (49 mi) long, which forms the Stod Valley in the Zanskar valley of
28-580: The Doda district , which lies in the rear of the glacier. The Doda River is also known as Stod River. After rising from its source, the Doda River flows southeast along the Kargil — Zanskar road in the main Zanskar valley, through the towns of Akshu, Abran, Kushol and Phey . The river then meets the Tsarap River at a confluence near Padum , the capital of Zanskar . Together, these two rivers form
35-716: The Shingo La 5,091 m (16,703 ft), and Tsarap river, with its source near the Baralacha-La. These two rivers unite below the village of Purne to form the Lungnak river (also known as the Lingti or Tsarap). The Lungnak river then flows north-westwards along a narrow gorge towards Zanskar's central valley (known locally as gzhung khor), where it unites with the Doda river to form the main Zanskar river. This river then takes
42-576: The Zanskar River , a tributary of the Indus River . The Doda River contributes to the minimal agricultural production of the Zanskar valley by providing irrigation to the fields of barley, wheat, buckwheat and peas. Accessible in the summer, the Pensi La mountain pass at the source of the river receives heavy snowfall along with the other pass, Zojila , which cuts off the Stod Valley from
49-937: The Leh district in the Union Territory of Ladakh in India. The Doda River rises from the Drang-Drung Glacier near Pensi La , a mountain pass off the Zanskar-Kargil road. The Drang-Drung Glacier is a river of ice and snow by itself and is the largest glacier other than the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh outside the Karakoram Range . It gives rise to a mountain peak named Doda Peak, 21,490 ft (6,550 metres) high, and gives its name to
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